Snapper @ Black Sheep Cafe

14th January 2011. Written by Xin Li.Pongal, the Harvest FestivalIt just so happened that one of my on-going projects have to do with Little India and after walking around Little India and Farrer Park to gather photos and appreciate the site, I decided to drop by Black Sheep Café for lunch.

Complimentary Garlic Bread as I waited for Chef Ratha.

This time round, I had a Baked Snapper with Tomato and Herb Relish (16.50 SGD). A nicely cooked snapper with crispy skin and succulent flesh served on a bed of well-seasoned mashed potatoes with tiny cubes of potatoes in it, vegetables as sides and topped with tomatoes (similar to a bruschetta topping). While I find it a tad oily, I wiped the plate clean. The addictive sauce, the addition of tomatoes cubes and hint of lemon gives it an appetizing, refreshing and tangy flavor.

I shall not go on further to sing praise about the food. As usual, it was divine for the price and most importantly, the quality has been consistent, if not better.

The 16.50 SGD lunch option was supposed to be taken down after Dec 2010 which was not reflected at the website when I visited. Hence, I regret to inform you that the lunch option is no longer available as it is going to be replaced by a flexible set menu in the future. You might have a 25-32 nett SGD for 2 courses or 3 courses respectively, the items would be taken from the ala carte menu. Details are sparse but I am definitely looking forward to the new menu.

While the food at Black Sheep Café had been great, I want to point out that the wait for food can get rather long especially during a crowded day as it is only ran by one chef and one crew (occasionally 2). Chef Ratha has plans to get a trained chef to assist him in the future. Personally, the good food, the atmosphere, the service and the price (in comparison to French Kitchen, Ember, Saint Pierre, Guy Savoy, Iggy’s and Les Amis etc) more than make up for the long wait.

After the meal, I had an interesting chat with Chef Ratha. He introduced me to the Pongal Festivalwhich seemed to be more important than Deepavali. During the Pongal celebrations on the 14th or 15th of January, you would be able to see cows and goats near the Little India Arcade. According to Chef Ratha, one reason why cattle were being treated as sacred beings was that it the only animal that could pronounce “mother” in Tamil and it does not go “mooo” if you listen carefully.

For people who wishes to visit Black Sheep Cafe as a group (2-4) for lunch, consider getting a MakanDeals.com voucher. You could save 15 bucks.